Vegetable Egg Rolls

VEGETABLE EGG ROLLS

Vegetable Egg Rolls are a refreshing alternative to the traditional egg rolls served at Chinese restaurants and takeout establishments. Even if you’re not vegan, these veggie egg rolls are a great snack or appetizer to enjoy while sipping your favorite beverage.

For years, I’ve been experimenting with various Chinese egg roll recipes in commercial kitchens and at home.

We’ve been getting requests for a veggie egg roll recipe, which is healthy for our health and the environment, so we’ve decided to put together a vegetarian version of the classic egg roll recipe.

Vegetarian egg rolls: what’s the process like?

Every detail you’ve ever wanted to know.

Compared to the meat variant, making vegetarian egg rolls is a breeze. Any kind of vegetable will do if meat is omitted.

Garlic and Shiitake mushrooms are used to give flavor to this egg roll recipe, along with a variety of cabbages (standard green and Savoy) for a crunchy basis.

IS THIS A VEGAN RECIPE?

It’s possible! It only requires a few tweaks!

Besides the egg used in the egg roll skin and egg roll wrappers, this dish is entirely vegan.

Egg roll wrappers for vegans have become simpler to buy, and you may seal them with a slurry of cornstarch and warm water.

CAN YOU MAKE EGG ROLLS IN THE ROTARY?

Yes!

Instead of deep-frying, egg rolls can be cooked in the oven, which is healthier and more convenient. However, I’ll be completely open with you. The skin doesn’t crisp up as well when not deep-fried, and the flavor isn’t quite as wonderful, according to this Chinese man’s view.

However, you use substantially less oil, and they are healthier and less guilt-inducing. Instead of frying these vegetarian egg rolls, we’ve provided instructions for baking them.

CAN YOU FREEZE IT FOR LATER?

Definitely!

Before freezing your egg rolls, we strongly recommend preparing the entire batch and storing them in an airtight container.

Egg roll wrappers can be frozen, but once the egg roll is wrapped, they tend to dry out and shatter when stored in the freezer.

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 pcs. of dried shiitake mushrooms (soaked and sliced)
• 1 package of mung bean glass noodles (about 2 cups when rehydrated)
• 2 tbsp. of peanut oil (plus more for frying)
• 3 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 2 cups of carrot (shredded)
• 1 pc. of red bell pepper (finely julienned)
• 7 cups of savoy cabbage (shredded)
• 7 cups of Taiwanese flat cabbage or regular green cabbage (shredded)
• 2 tbsp. of Shaoxing wine
• 2 1/2 tsp. of salt
• 2 tsp. of sugar
• 1 tbsp. of sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp. of white pepper
• 1/4 tsp. of five spice powder (optional)
• 1 cup of scallions (chopped)
• 1 package of egg roll wrappers (about 20-24 pieces)
• 1 egg (beaten)

INSTRUCTIONS

DRIED SHIITAKE MUSHROOM PREPARATION:

1. Before cooking with dried shiitake mushrooms, soak them in boiling water for a few minutes. Cover and soak for an hour if you’re not dehydrated.
2. The stems were cut off, and the strips were chopped into pieces. Fresh shiitake mushrooms can easily be substituted, but dried mushrooms have a more pronounced flavor!

PREPARE YOUR MUNG BEAN GLASS NOODLES:

1. Rehydrate the mung bean noodles by soaking them in lukewarm water for 10 minutes. Cut the noodles into 1- to 11/2-inch lengths with kitchen shears.

COOK THE VEGETABLE EGG ROLL FILLING:

1. Set a medium-high heat source under your wok. Add the minced garlic and Shiitake mushrooms to the wok and 2 tablespoons of peanut oil. Allow 15 seconds for the ingredients to come to a simmer before serving. Carrots and red bell peppers should be added next—Cook for an additional 15 seconds.
2. Add the two cabbages and raise the heat to high. Toss the ingredients together for a minute and see what happens. Bring everything together by stirring in the glass noodles made from mung bean flour and a dash of five-spice powder if desired. A minute later, add the sliced scallions and transfer the mixture to a large basin to cool down. Completely cool down.

HOW TO FOLD THE EGG ROLLS: 

1. Lay one egg roll wrapper flat with the corner facing you. This will create the appearance of a diamond shape when folded in half.
2. Place a spoonful of the filling (55g) in the corner nearest you before taking a measurement.
3. Press the wrapper into the filling using your fingers, so it clings to all sides.
4. To make it look like an envelope, fold the two opposite corners inwards.
5. Egg wash the opposite corner well, and don’t forget any spots!
6. Make sure the egg roll stays tucked in as you fold it forward. The egg wash should help keep the egg roll together.

TO FRY THE EGG ROLLS:

1. Make sure your frying oil is heated at 325 degrees Fahrenheit/160 degrees Celsius in a small pot. Just enough to completely soak the egg rolls is all you need. Regardless of the size of the pan, you’re using, be sure the oil doesn’t overflow during the frying process. Flammable hot oil can be exceedingly dangerous when placed near an open flame.
2. Add the egg rolls one at a time, careful not to crowd the pan. To ensure consistent cooking, keep moving them around in the oil.
3. Drain and chill the egg rolls on a wire rack after frying.

TO BAKE THE EGG ROLLS:

1. Set the oven to 425°F/230°C before beginning. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray or aluminum foil with non-stick spray before placing the egg rolls in the oven.
2. Brush the egg rolls with peanut or vegetable oil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. For optimal crispiness, turn the bottoms once halfway through the cooking process.